Overview
My team redesigned the Houston ISD website (HoustonISD.org) to be viewable on all devices and accessible to users of all abilities. We arranged website content based on data analysis and discussions with parent groups, school leaders, and district administration. As a result, the redesign improved visibility and increased page views of the district’s enrollment site by over 180% in the first five months after the redesign versus the same period in the previous year.
Related work
NOTE: Over time, some links may no longer work
A focus on accessibility—and equity
In 2021, we launched a redesigned website to provide more accessibility and improved user navigation.
The redesign, which retained its mobile-friendly format, reflected the district’s commitment to making the information on its website accessible to individuals with disabilities in compliance with the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.
As a district, we wanted to ensure all stakeholders had equal and equitable access to the information and data shared through our website. Our website was an essential communication vehicle, and we needed to provide easy navigation for the millions of visitors we receive each year.
The district’s website was designed to ensure that people with disabilities could effectively access, understand, navigate, and interact with it. To ensure compliance with the ADA, we built the website according to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA.
The new website, as well as school websites, incorporated closed-captioned videos through YouTube for language selection and hearing-impaired users, as well as color contrast controls and edits that made navigation easier for the visually impaired. For physically impaired users, we updated the code to allow users to navigate using keyboard controls. And for users with learning and cognitive disabilities, we added a pause button to all website carousels.
Our team used online tools such as the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool and Blackboard’s Ally plug-in to measure progress on improving accessibility across HISD and school websites.
Ensuring HISD’s accessible digital future
In addition to the redesign of the main website, webmasters at schools throughout the district received training on the importance of website accessibility and resources on building and maintaining accessible department and campus websites.